Around the bend...

A new year is just around the bend.
What it holds no one can tell.
Lots of firsts.

City of Brotherly Love

Well, here I am...sitting here at the oldest hotel in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. It is historical, yet cozy and has all the 21st century amenities. The Eagles/Broncos game is playing on the seemingly out of place flat-screen HD TV and I am partly paying attention to it. Definitely an exciting game, (27-24 currently) considering it's Brian Dawkins' first year with the Broncos, playing on the opposing side of the Eagles at his beloved home stadium where he played so many times. Not only that, but my brothers and mom happen to be at the game, so we've been trying to spot them in the crowd. The SONY video camera has been put to good use the last couple days, capturing the historical essence of the city and forever recording the beautiful moments shared with family. Things are changing. I want to remember these times always. These times with my little sister, whose growing up all too fast. Right now, she's fifteen and going through the stage of make-up, hair straightening, stressing over clothes, and the world of iPods and laptops. Yet, she's still so little, so innocent. There's something so special about her. She doesn't seem to be affected by the world, as most fifteen-year-old girls are. What a blessing that is. I want to maintain that childlike innocence...Something none of us should lose with age. Yet, there's only so much I can do. She's going to have to go through hard things herself to realize what a cruel world this is. To realize how desperate she is for God. And then there's my twenty-five year old twin brothers. Living in North Carolina while they are in Virginia, I don't get to see them as much as I'd like. So, I value this time we're together. Joseph loves Philadelphia, he loves the Eagles. I'm really enjoying this time together as a family. It's so lovely here in Philly right after Christmas. All the lights are still up and it's quite enjoyable strolling the streets, stopping at cute little coffee shops for hot cider. I'll post more later...with pictures too.

Christmas Day 2009.

The Spirit is Willing.

A Letter.

"A letter represents something far more than a kiss ever could. It evidences thoughtfulness and the gift of time. While a kiss can prove tender, it must overcome the stigma of impulsiveness to truly display love. A letter, on the other hand, when written in the spirit of ardor and romance-even if it never mentions passion-strokes the heart deeper than any other form of physical touch. A kiss cannot be felt again and again from great distance; but a letter can be read and reread thousands of times. A kiss only familiarizes lips with the physical body of a lover. A letter familiarizes the heart, mind, and soul. Maybe that's why God chose to write us a letter." ~Eric Ludy

Go - Jackie Pullenger.

Dancing as Elves!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Nothing to do with sin & everything to do with God.

25 weeks.

As of Sunday, I am in my 25th week of pregnancy. My cousin Anna was down visiting from Virginia for the weekend so she, my sister, and I had a little photo shoot. It's so fun to see how much my belly has grown in such a short amount of time! I had an appointment with my Dr. last Tuesday and he said Lily is already 2 pounds and over a foot long! He checked her heart, brain, lungs, among other things and said she is very healthy! She's growing at the right speed and is quite active these days! As of now, Lily is definitely an early riser, waking me in the mornings with all sorts of squirming and kicking around. If this is any indication of what's to come, I better change my sleeping patterns now to get ready for this wild child! All my tests have come back healthy thus far as well. On December 21st, I'll be getting tested for gestational diabetes. Anyways, I'll give more of an update later about what's been going on in my pregnancy these last few weeks. It's quite an exciting time!!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 25:

Your little grower’s physical proportions are evening out at this point and most of their remaining development will largely be weight gain and lots and lots of nervous system development. The good news is: if your child is born premature now they’ll be more likely to survive without too much trauma as their lungs began to produce “surfactant” last week, which means their tiny respiratory system is getting stronger with each passing day. Yes, now’s a good time for a minor sigh of relief and a quick pat on the back. All that hard work and conscientious living is really getting your child prepared for a healthy delivery. Keep up the fabulous work mama! This week they’ll be scootching slowly out of the old breech position and start rotating (already!) into a better position for exit during their birth. Their head and feet are slowly rotating so that the head is pointed down towards the birth canal. Time is short (or really long, depending on who you ask)—just (still!) 14 weeks left before you can go back to being a single-resident human.